The sixteenth year of Hiccup Haddock
by Trixter Dark
Summary: This is a ROTBTD fanfic with Frostcup/Hijack. Hiccup's junior year of high school is full of new friends and new experiences that ultimately lead to a major change in his life. (a tiny-teeny bit of self harm, but not cutting or anything like that) Reviews can cause new chapters.
1. Chapter 1

This is not my first fic, but it is my first frostcup. Forgive the "Quotes". I wrote this on a tablet, with a app. In a cave, **with a box of scraps!**

Warnings: BoyxBoy is obvious. Highschool AU. Possible random disney and Dreamworks cameos.

The sixteenth year of Hiccup Haddock

Chapter one:Winter, with Jack

It was cold. In fact it was downright freezing that evening, as Hiccup Horrendous Haddock dragged a wagon of art supplies through the practically frozen snow had just stopped falling a few minutes ago. Ms. Ana, his overzealous art teacher, (who was so enamored with people's mouths that she was sometimes called Tooth) had insisted he wait out the white stuff after he had stayed behind after school, working on plans for the school mural.

Hiccup and his father had moved to Burgess from Berk when Hiccup was only nine years old. Hiccup had spotted the differences between the two towns quickly, the people of Burgess seemed smaller, the food wasn't as tough, and winter in Burgess was pretty, and practically worshiped.

Burgess was the home of the world's most famous department store, . The owner, Nicholas , was the richest man in the area. His store was famous for its window displays and doorbuster deals. Nicholas, dubbed North by the townspeople, was known for his holiday parties and his uncanny resemblance to Santa Claus. And then there was his adopted son….

Jackson Overland. He was seventeen years old, and better known as Jack Frost for his bleach white hair and love for winter. He was star of the Burgess high school lacrosse team and had a reputation as a class clown. Jack was treated like royalty. There wasn't a person in town who didn't know happy-go-lucky, carefree, most likely to be Prom king Jack.

Which is why Hiccup was confused when he saw Jack, covered in snow and half frozen, hugging his knees under a tree in the park. Hiccup walked past him at first but then turned, after seeing a familiar blue hoodie. Jack was strangely still, staring forward. He was pale, more so than usual.

Hiccup swallowed hard. He could only think of two options: mind his business and mind his business. But, there was something about the look on Jack's face…

Hiccup sighed, he dropped the handle of the wagon and walked off the stone path, onto the snow covered grass and beneath the tree.

He knelt down to Jack's level.

"Um….Hey." He scratched his woolen beanie covered head. " I don't know what this thing your doing is, but you have to stop. I'm pretty sure you're gonna freeze to death, and I don't think the park ranger will appreciate it when he has to move your frozen corpse."

Jack blinked then, his eyes slowly assessing Hiccup's face. He knew this boy. He had seen him before. In the hallways maybe? Did they share a class? Jack never paid attention to his classmates. He only considered them to be a audience for his shenanigans.

Who was this guy again? His eyes were a deep green, with flecks of gold. His hair was a dark brown. Jack noticed a streak of blonde poking from under his green hat. And his face. Freckles. That was the best description his half frozen brain could offer. Then he realized the boy was talking again.

Hiccup held out his hand. "So, how about you go home now, huh?"

Jack narrowed his eyes at him. Through his chattering teeth, he managed a "N-No…N-Not…home."

"Oh…kay.."Hiccup retracted his hand for a moment, opening and closing it repeatedly. "Then I guess you can come to my house instead." He held out his hand again. "Come on."

Jack tried glaring at him. Something about the look on this kid's face, the way he furrowed his brow, those insistent freckles…

Jack placed his hand in Hiccup's, who grinned instantly, and Hiccup stood, pulling Jack up with him.

'He's strong, for a string-bean.'

"I don't live to far from here…" Hiccup said.

Jack shivered, the warmth of this boy's hand contrasted greatly with the cold of his own. Then he suddenly let go,grabbing the handle of a wagon. Jack reached for his hand for a moment. Hiccup, oblivious to this, moved forward.

'What the hell am I doing?'

It wasn't long until they had reached the Haddock residence. It was a large house, more appropriate for it's owner than Hiccup. Hiccup glanced back at Jack as they walked through the foyer. He removed his coat, hat, and boots. "Hang on." Hiccup said, walking further into the house. "I'll go get you a change of clothes."

Jack removed his shoes and followed him through the foyer, stopping in the living room. Beneath his feet was a plush cream carpet. The room was large, complete with a large fireplace, a set of leather couches, and a wall mounted big screen. A light fixture shaped like a ship was hanging from the were hints of old world flair spread across the room: a large axe on the wall, and a horned helmet above the mantel.

Hiccup walked up the stairs. Jack heard a soft mewing. "Hey bud." Hiccup said, scooping up his cat, Toothless. He walked down the hall, towards the master bedroom. 'My clothes are probably too small, and Dad's might be too big.' He dug through his father's older things, looking for a shirt he accidentally shrunk. After finding a pair of sweats, Hiccup headed back to the living room.

"My Dad won't be back for a while, so you can…" Hiccup dropped the clothes. Jack had passed out, and was lying in the middle of the floor.

"Jack!" Hiccup grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. "Jack wake up!" He felt for a pulse, and touched his forehead. "Well, atleast you're breathing. You still have to get out of these clothes though."

Hiccup leaned Jack's head against the couch. He was out cold.

"Okay, I can do this." He began pulling Jack's hoodie over his head.

Toothless wandered into the room and began watching from the other sofa. "Mew?"

'This is perfectly normal.' Hiccup told himself. 'You are stripping down Jack Frost, local living legend. If he wakes up, you calmly explain that you are trying to help him, not molest him.'

With the hoodie off, Jack had on a wife-beater, underwear (most likely),pants, and socks.

Jack groaned as Hiccup took the undershirt off him, and Hiccup froze. "Uh..Jack…you're going to catch a cold in these clothes so…uh…"

Jack cracked an eye open and looked at him for a moment before leaning his head back and closing his eyes. Hiccup frowned. 'Either he's used to people undressing him or he just doesn't give a damn.'

His eyes rested on the silver buckle of Jack's belt. Hiccup bit his lip.

'Getting into Jack Frost's pants. This is definitely not what I planned to do with my Friday night.'

Eventually Hiccup mustered the courage to remove the rest of Jack's clothes, trying hard not to stare and looking as red as a tomato. When he was done putting Jack in his father's things, Hiccup grabbed sheets from the hall closet, a pillow off his own bed, and set up a pseudo bed on the couch. He half dragged Jack off the floor and onto the couch, tucking him in and turning the light off.

"This is what you do in this situation, right?"

Hiccup asked no one in particular, as he ascended the stairs.

Hiccup plopped onto his bed, exhausted. Toothless jumped onto the bed, kneading a spot on the comforter before curling up to sleep. Hiccup's eyes drooped. "I think you have the right idea Toothless." He tugged off his shirt and pants, got under the covers and drifted off.

Next chapter soon.


	2. Chapter 2

The sixteenth year of Hiccup Haddock

Chapter two: Breakfast with Jack

"Ow!" Jack awoke to something landing on his chest. Sharp things poked him through sheets he didn't recognize. A large pair of green eyes were locked with his own. Eyes, Jack realized, belonged to a cat seemed more curious than menacing. Jack sat up, causing the cat the jump down and trot away.

"Where…" Jack glanced around the room. Everything was vaguely familiar to him. He held his face in his hands, trying to remember what had happened last night. 'I was at the shop…and then I was at the park.' Hiccup's face flashed through his mind. "Freckles."

His voice was raspy. His forehead felt really hot. He untangled himself from the sheets. 'Is it just me, or is it hot in here?'

He stood and dragged himself into the kitchen, seeking water. Curious, he took a look inside the fridge. 'Wow, there's enough for a whole army in here.'

Soft footfalls descended the stairs, letting him know that 'Freckles' was awake.

Hiccup found Jack in the kitchen.

"Good morning." Jack said, rummaging through his pantry. "Man, I'm starving."

Toothless walked passed them, stopping in front of Hiccup for a scratch behind the ears.

"I must have really been out of it yesterday." Jack said. He stopped moving after he saw Hiccup take a fish filet and onions out of the fridge. "I don't even remember changing into this."

'Fish? For breakfast? That's so weird…'

"Uh, yeah…changing." Hiccup's face reddened at that. He took several containers out of the cabinet. He rinsed a frying pan out and set it on the stove, all the while hoping his blushing didn't give away the previous night's events.

'Now is not the time to think about his boxer-briefs…'

"So, not to be rude or anything." Jack cleared his throat. "But, uh, who are you?"

Hiccup stopped what he was doing. At first he looked shocked, but his face twisted into a annoyed stare. "Jack…" Hiccup began, looking somewhat menacing as he brandished a knife. "I'm in your physics class. When you first heard my name, you laughed so hard you almost fell out of your chair."

"Oh…" Jack scratched his head. 'I knew those freckles were familiar…he has them on the back of his neck.'

Hiccup began to chop the onions. "I'm gonna say it once, and pray that you remember." He sighed and then said through clenched teeth,"It's Hic-cup-Had-dock." He enunciated each syllable with a chop.

Jack stifled a giggle. "Ah, I remember that now. Sorry Hic."

'Hic?' Hiccup shook his head. He dropped the seasoned fish and chopped onions into the pan. The sizzling noises made Jack's mouth water.

Toothless rubbed against their legs, walking in a crooked circle between the two of them.

"Are your parents around?" Jack asked. He picked up a apple.

"My Dad is at a match, so he wont be back."

"A match?"

"He's a wrestler." Hiccup replied, concentrating on fish. "That apple is fake."

"Oh." Jack stared at the counter. "Ohhh!" He exclaimed. "Your Dad is Stoick the vast, the hairy hooligan!" 'That explains the random old stuff.'

" I thought all the photos in the foyer and the title belt in the living room would be a dead giveaway." He frowned when Jack looked at him.

"Please don't give me that look."

"What look?"

"The, '_you guys look nothing alike face_'."

" I was just wondering what having a wrestler for a Dad would be like."

Hiccup scratched his head. "Oh…"

Jack smiled. " I used to watch your Dad wrestle when I was a kid. Wait, didn't he retire?"

Hiccup turned the fire off. "He's a special guest."

Jack wandered closer in interest. "It's done?"

"Yup." Hiccup picked up the pan and began putting the dish into a bowl. Jack was about to ask for a plate when Hiccup put the bowl on the floor. Toothless ran over and stuck his face in it. Hiccup laughed and rubbed the cat's head. "Eat up buddy."

Jack deadpanned. "Wh-What…." 'All that…for the cat?!'

"Now what should I have for breakfast?" Hiccup scratched his chin. "Oatmeal? Pancakes…"

"Pancakes!" Jack suddenly exclaimed, looking like a child on Christmas morning.

Hiccup bit his lip to stop himself from laughing. "Okay, we'll have pancakes." He cleaned the pan he just used and took a skillet from off the wall. "I don't have mix, so they'll be from scratch."

Jack's face glowed curiosity. "From scratch?"

"Uh huh. They come out pretty good, if I do say so myself. They're my mom's recipe."

Jack leaned on the counter. "Your mom…was she…?"

"Valhallarama the Viking queen, yes." Hiccup retrieved flour from the cupboard. "Can you pass me the eggs?"

Jack nodded and took the carton out of the fridge. "She was cool too. I knew they were together."

Hiccup began adding ingredients in a bowl. "You don't have any allergies do you?"

Jack shrugged. "Nope."

He handed Hiccup the carton. Their hands touched for a moment. Hiccup looked away from the food and grabbed Jack's hand. "Jack."

"What?" Jack blinked at him. "Why are you so cold?"

Hiccup frowned, his mouth pressed into a thin line. "You're burning up." He touched Jack's forehead.

Jack didn't move. 'That feels kinda nice…'

"Go sit." Hiccup commanded. 'I knew he was gonna get sick.'

"I'll be right back." With that, Hiccup headed upstairs. A moment later he returned with a thermometer.

"Say ahh." Hiccup said.

Jack opened his mouth, ready to make a remark, but Hiccup stuck the thermometer in, not wanting to hear it. Hiccup waited for the thermometer to beep. "Wait, I think this is the pet thermometer."

Jack spit out the object, just as it beeped. "What?!"

Hiccup retrieved the thermometer. "I was kidding." He read the output with a frown. "You have a fever, Jack."

"Oh…" Jack looked crestfallen. "Does this mean I don't get to have pancakes?"

Hiccup laughed at that, biting his lip when Jack began to frown. "You can still have pancakes." Hiccup went back to the kitchen, and Jack made himself comfortable on the couch. He flicked through tv channels before settling on a old movie. It wasn't long until a pleasant aroma wafted through the returned to the living room with two plates stacked high with pancakes.

He handed one two Jack and placed the other on a end table.

As Hiccup wandered off to get TV tables, Jack began to stuff his face.

'Holy…I think I'm in love…'

No one had ever made breakfast for him before. Well, North had attempted to do so several times, but Jack had never received food from a friend.

After they finished breakfast, Jack took a shower. 'The bathrooms are huge, the house is big…With a father like Stoick, it makes sense.'

Hiccup left Jack's things in the bathroom and retreated back to the kitchen. He washed the dishes, contemplating his current situation.

'Well, this has been a interesting weekend so far.'

Before this, he had only interacted with Jack a few times. The first was when he glared at Jack for laughing at his name. The second was when Jack had hit him in the head with his lacrosse stick. Jack had a habit of walking through the hallways with it on his shoulders, and hitting a lot if people with it. Hiccup had yelled at him then, but Jack, wrapped in a conversation with his girlfriend of the week, did not hear him. Any point of contact after that was when papers were being passed out in class. And come to think of it, why were they in class together?

Jack returned downstairs in his own clothes, happy to be back in his own things. "What now?"

"Huh?" Hiccup stared at him. "Well, I'm going to walk Toothless, so…"

Jack gave him a quizzical look. "You walk your cat?"

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, so?"

Jack looked away from him. "Uh…nothing…"

He glanced at a clock. "I should probably call North. Do you have a phone I could use?"

Hiccup handed him a cordless phone. "You don't have a cellphone?"

Jack shrugged. "I did, but I kinda lost it."

'Yeah I lost it alright. I threw it in the lake for crying out loud.' He dialed the number of North's personal line. It only took a moment for the man to pick up.

"Hey North."

"Jack!" North's voice boomed through the phone, causing Jack to pull away. "We have been lookink all night! Vere are you?"

Hiccup left the room.

"I'm at a friend's house. I'll be back soon."

"Your coach vas worried when you didn't go to practice." There was a touch of concern in North's voice. "Is everything okay Jack?"

Hiccup returned with Toothless and a small bag.

"Everything's great. I'll see you later." After hearing North's reply, he hung up.

"Well, I'm gonna go now…" Hiccup said, headed for the door.

"Hang on a sec." Jack said putting the phone on its cradle. "I'll come with you."

Hiccup shook his head. "You're sick, Jack. I think you should sit still for awhile."

Jack crossed his arms. "So what I'm hearing is that you want to leave me all alone. What if something happens to me Hic?" There was false panic in his voice. "What if I fall and can't get up?"

Hiccup sighed. "Okay, fine." He put on his coat and a green skullcap. He took a brown scarf off the coat rack and handed it to Jack. "At least cover up your neck, and put on your hood."

Jack grinned in triumph and wrapped the scarf around his neck. It was warm and bore a pattern of Autumn leaves.

Not much to say here. Uh, How do you get a ask box? The new code didn't work for me.


	3. Chapter 3

I am back from japan and able to post.

Fair warning: This is not just a ROTBTD fic. This is more of a Rise of the brave tangled dragons hotel laika sponsored in part by disney and dreamworks. There will be random characters and movie references. EVERYWHERE.

The sixteenth year of Hiccup Haddock

Chapter 3: Walking with Jack

The sidewalks where Hiccup lived had been cleared of trotted ahead, unperturbed by the wet stuff. The sky was a calm grey mass of clouds. Hiccup and Jack walked in silence as Toothless tugged his master around.

Jack glanced around. They were surrounded by cookie cutter houses, all about two floors or more.

He had never seen the area before. Jack and North lived in a large apartment in downtown Berk, across the street from the 's department store. Every morning Jack would get out of his four poster bed, cross his large blue room, and stare at his future workplace. A sense of dread often followed the stare, along with irritation and a sudden need to get as far away from the store as possible.

He didn't dislike the place, or the workers, or North. It was the fact that everyone thought he'd be the next owner that he couldn't stand.

Toothless tugged sharply on his leash and began to run, pulling Hiccup with him. "Hey! Hang on a minute!" Hiccup pulled on the leash hard. It snapped and Toothless ran across the street, after a squirrel.

Hiccup ran after his cat. Jack ran after them. ' Is it a cat, or is it just a small dog?' Part of Toothless's tail was missing, leading people to beleive he was a mix of burmese and bobcat.

Hiccup picked up his cat, grumbling, and carried him back to the house. He put Toothless in the backyard, after giving the cat a lecture, which made Jack wonder considering that cat couldn't speak english. Jack returned to the living room. When Hiccup returned, he stood. "I should probably go home…" 'Even though I have no idea where I am…'

"Okay." Hiccup replied.

Jack raked a hand through his hair. "I guess I'll see you at school….Speaking of school, I guess your commute is longer than mine." 'Take a hint will ya?'

"Yep." Hiccup looked at the clock. "Actually, I have to go there right now."

"On a saturday?"

"We're working on the school mural." Hiccup took his wagon of aupplies from the hall closet. "We're still in the draft phase, so you can contribute, if you want."

"Sounds cool. I kinda wanna see what you guys have done." 'And it provides me with a landmark.'

Hiccup and Jack left the house again, this time for a much longer walk.

"Does your Dad go away often?" Jack asked. They had been walking for 20 minutes.

"No, not really. But he's a fan favorite, so he gets asked to go to events alot."

"You ever go with him?"

"Sometimes." Hiccup smiled weakly then, his focus on the road.

After a few more blocks, they reached the park. Burgess park was large. It had its own pond, a small playground, a picnic area, and a event stage. They walked up a small hill and down a stone path that cut through the park, straight to the other exit.

Jack stuffed his hands into his pockets. His face was half covered with Hiccup's scarf. The cold didn't bother him as much as the sudden wind. He shivered.

"Are you alright Jack?" Hiccup asked. "I think you should go home, I don't think the cold is helping that fever."

"I'll sleep it off later." It seemed like Jack was determined to go with him. 'He can't be that interested in the mural, can he?'

They crossed several wide streets and went up a long hill to Burgess high. Burgess high school had a large, four story building with a field and parking spaces looking over a cliff. There was a small forest beneath the cliff. With the field just behind the school, Jack could hear the shouts of his coach in the distance. He felt a rush of happiness, feeling free from the drills and snow dusted field.

Hiccup looked at the parking lot. It was empty with the exception of two cars. "You know who owns that death trap?" Jack said, pointing to a beatup forest green convertible. The car was dusty and dented, with boxes covering the backseat. "That car never seems to leave here."

"That's Ms. Ana's." Hiccup replied. "Her pride and joy."

Jack helped him carry the wagon up the short set of stairs outside the school. They entered and walked passed a old dozing bodyguard. Jack headed left, stopping in front of the elevator.

Hiccup dragged the wagon towards him. "Jaaaack, we can't use the escalator."

Jack pushed the "up" button, not looking at him. "Why?"

"We're students for one thing, and is sitting in it."

"You worry too much." The elevator "dinged", signaling its arrival. The metal door slid open, revealing a tired looking old man in a office chair. The old man had a stern look on his face, his mouth pressed into a thin line.

"Heyyy, Peabody!" Jack stepped into the elevator. He grabbed Hiccup by the arm and dragged him inside.

The old man raised a frail, trembling hand infront of the number pad.

"Hiccup, what floor are we headed to?"

"Top floor." Hiccup replied.

The old man groaned and pressed four.

After a short ride chock full of awkward silence, Jack and Hiccup continued their journey the art room.

"So why are you bringing supplies to the meeting?"

"The door is sometimes locked, so we take turns bringing supplies."

They walked down a corridor, the walls decorated with work from several art classes. Finally they came to the end of the hall. Sunlight streaked in through a stain glass window. Voices could be heard from the double doors before them. One chatted adamantly while three others chimed in occasionally. Jack held the door while Hiccup pulled the wagon inside.

The art room, dubbed the gallery by the art teachers, was full of covered easels all posed in a semi-circle around a small stage meant for models. There was a cupboard full of smocks, and several tables covered in props sitting in various corners.

The art teacher, Ms. Ana, stood in the model space while three students sat on stools in front of her. Her eccentricity was made evident by her appearance, hair in a ombré of green, magenta contacts, and a green gown that swept the floor.

The students in front of her had appearances that were just as memorable, if not somewhat subdued in comparison. One girl had short black hair, pale skin, and blue eyes. She wore a black jumper and sat with a sketchbook in her lap. She glanced at Hiccup for a moment, and then stared at Jack in surprise The second girl was fair skinned with emerald eyes. She had long, long hair that was golden like the sun. She wore a violet jumper and was scribbling notes in a sun-shaped notepad. She gave them a wave as they came in.

Hiccup dragged the wagon closer. "Hi, sorry I'm late."

"Hiccup!" Miss Ana looked excited to see him. But then, she usually looked excited "Oh look, you brought a friend!"

"Yeah…Guys this is Jack…Jack, this is Mavis-"

"We know each other." The raven haired girl said.

Hiccup looked between Jack and Mavis for a moment.

"We're neighbors." Jack explained. Mavis's Dad runs the hotel across from 's."

"Not to mention", Mavis added. "We dated in junior high school."

"Yeah.."Jack chuckled nervously. "That too…"

He looked away.

Hiccup rubbed his arm. 'Well that was awkward….' "And this is Rapunzel."

The other girl stood. "Hi Jack!" She directed her attention to Hiccup. "Hiccup, did you bring the revisions?"

"Uh huh." Hiccup pulled a portfolio off the wagon. "Got it."

"Let's take a look at the drafts again." said.

Mavis was confused. "But Miss, I thought we already decided."

"We did." Ms. Ana said smiling. "But humor me. I want to see which one Jack prefers."

Jack scratched his head. "Which what now?"

"All four of us created sketches for the mural. I want to see which one you pick."

"Oh." Jack tugged at Hiccup's scarf. Hiccup wandered over to a corner and took off his jacket. "I'm sure they're all really good…"

"Mmhmm…" rummaged through a cardboard box on the floor and pulled out four pieces of paper. She handed them to Jack, who reluctantly began to look them over. Each was unique, with its kind of charm. However, out of all of them, only one was painted. The piece depicted the school from above with a invisible roof, giving a look into several rooms. There students studying, snacking, and sleeping in class. There were cheerleaders practicing in gym, friends watching from thee sidelines. Lacrosse players ran down the hall, carrying a large trophy. Dancers practiced in one room, while artists sketched in another. By the front door, graduates were headed out. Outside the school there was a line of people from various professions walking away. There were tiny things hidden in all the rooms, and little symbols along the borders. The school motto, "Keep moving forward", was drawn above the school.

"This one." Jack said. "It has a little bit of everything in it. Thee colors are nice too."

"See!" looked ecstatic. "It's unanimous!"

Rapunzel turned a bright shade of red. "That doesn't prove anything! Jack is probably just being nice!"

"Rapunzel thinks her artwork isn't that good." Hiccup said. "She though we were joking when we picked hers."

"But it is good." Jack replied, looking at Rapunzel.

Rapunzel shook her head. "It's full of mistakes."

"Are you kidding? I couldn't draw this well in a million years!"

"That settles it!" said. "No more revisions! We're moving forward with Rapunzel's!"

Hiccup sighed. "Finally."

I need feedback. Oh, what animal should I use for the school team? Heffalumps?

Updating soon. Look, Rapunzel is here!


	4. Chapter 4

Hello again. Did everyone see the HTTYD2 trailer? Yes? Well, we have a year to go...

I'm very proud of myself, I got a few references hidden in here! And another Disney character!

Chapter 4: Dressing with Jack

"So it's decided, we'll go ahead with Rapunzel's. First we'll do a few revisions. At our next meeting, I want everyone to bring something that they wish to incorporate into the picture." Ms. Ana went off on a tangent, and after an hour of her speech everyone said their goodbyes.

Hiccup and Jack snuck out first, Hiccup first retrieving his things and passing the wagon rights onto Rapunzel, and Jack following him out. "The school mural looks like it's going to be nice." Jack said, looking ahead. "It almost looked like everyone would be in it. That reminds me..." Jack wrapped the scarf tighter around his neck. "You are coming to my birthday party right? I mean, I basically invited the whole school."

"Your birthday party?" Hiccup repeated. "I don't remember being invited…?"

"Huh..." Jack shrugged. "Well, now you are."

Hiccup scratched his head. He bit his bottom lip, cheeks filling with air and embarrassment.

"Well, its just kinda sudden. I mean, I didn't even get you anything."

Jack shook his head. "Trust me, its not that kind of birthday party."

"Hey Hiccup!"  
Hiccup turned back to see Rapunzel tugging the wagon towards them.

"Oh hey Rapunzel."

Rapunzel reached them and tugged the wagon to her left. She brushed several strands of hair out of her face. "Can I sign you up for the next bake sale? I need a list of at least ten people, or the student council won't let me have the space."

"Uh, sure. When is the next bake sale anyway?" Hiccup asked.

"Really?" Rapunzel's eyes lit up then, in a way Jack had seen many times before. "The sale is right after the holidays."She reached in her magenta messenger bag, dug out a folded piece of copy paper and handed him a pen.

Hiccup glanced at the list. 'No one else has signed this...' He clicked the pen and signed his name, then handed the paper back to Rapunzel. She looked as if she would jump for joy. Then she did. "Oh, thank you Hiccup!"

She dashed past both of them, and turned to wave. "See you in English!" With that she ran into the stairwell.

Hiccup waved back, his hand dropping as she disappeared from view.

Jack snickered. "Wow."

Hiccup narrowed his eyes at him. "What?"

Jack fingered the leaves on the scarf. He looked Hiccup in the eye. "You like her?"

Hiccup's eyes widened. "What? No!" He paled a little then, causing Jack to laugh.

"Why?" Jack asked between laughs. "What, she's not your type?"

Hiccup looked away. "Well..."He turned slightly pink. "Yeah...she's not...I don't think of her that way."

Jack shoved his hands into his pockets. "Oh, that's a shame, 'cause I'm pretty sure she likes you."

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "I think that fever is cooking your brain."

Jack wiggled his eyebrows. "Trust me, I know these things."

Hiccup patted him on the arm. "I bet you do." 'I can't tell if he's joking or not...And he does have quite the track record when it comes to relationships. I've probably seen him with a dozen girls, but never...'

"So, you went out with Mavis?" Hiccup said, changing topic.

"Yeah, back in junior high." Jack sighed. "It was a big deal downtown. Our fathers thought we were going to get married and expand the businesses, Hotel Tartakovsky and North's. We kept it up for a while until like, sophomore year."

They reached the elevator. Mr. Peabody was still sitting inside looking unimpressed.

"Heyyy Peabody." Jack waved at him and then wobbled into the elevator.

"Are you alright,Jack?"

"Just peachy."

Despite his answer, Jack was swaying the entire ride.

After the elevator hit the ground floor, Jack got out and headed for the front door in silence.

"Jack?" Hiccup said, trailing after him. He was beginning to worry. 'Maybe I should have told him to go home...'

Jack stepped outside and sighed in relief. The building had been too warm for him, and the cold arm, wrapped around him like a giant icepack.

He smiled. "Ah, that's better."

A sudden gust of wind cause Hiccup to grip his shoulders. "The cold? It's freezing."

"It's perfect."

They descended the hill, Jack wobbling and Hiccup watched him with worry.

'If he doesn't stop wobbling, I'm going to start calling him weeble.'

"So what kind of party is it?"

"A Gatsby party." Jack smiled then. "Formal attire, and we're taking over Hotel Tartakovsky."

"I doubt I have anything nice enough to wear to that. When your Dad is a wrestler, your clothes mostly consist of graphic tees and jeans. You know, comfortable convention wear."  
Jack rubbed his hands. "That's not a problem. Come on, we'll go find something."

Hiccup stopped then.

"Oh...kay."

Jack continued down the hill. 'Well, there go my legs. Oh well, at least I'm still walking...'

Jack lead the way to North's. The department store was a spectacular sight, already decorated for holidays. Colorful displays adorned the shop windows. Manikins wore the latest styles, and adults and children alike stopped to admire the windows. 's was several stories high, a prominent member of the downtown Burgess scene. Jack waltzed through the brass turning doors.

Hiccup sneezed instantly. They walked straight into the cloud of perfume known as the cosmetics section. Clerks spritzed perfume and cologne at passerby, screeching about deals and current offers. Hiccup clamped a hand over his nose and followed Jack through the haze away from the exotic fragrances and through the shoe section. There, egos were stroked as young shop girls persuaded women and men alike into buying shoes of every style.

Several glanced in Jack's direction, and Jack gave a nod each time, but none of them ceased in their efforts to sell shoes.

They crossed the marble floor and Jack hopped on the half wooden, half metal escalator. Jack kept his eyes upward as they ascended, while Hiccup took a moment to admire the store. He never spent much time in North's but he had to admit it had a certain air about it. It was almost like stepping back in time.

The workers were all in uniform, all polite and polished. Customers were given only respect and compliments, regardless of there social status or upbringing. The store itself seemed more like a mansion then a shopping hub. Comfortable couches were all over, golden chandelier were hanging from the ceiling, and the white marble floors had swirls of a gold glittering substance. Easy listening was being pumped in through speakers, but set at such a volume that it only helped the shopping experience.

Before Hiccup realized it, he had followed Jack up two flights to the Men's section. Soon, they were surrounded by a sea of suits. Jack noticed a pudgy man with sandy colored hair drifting towards the elevator and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey, Sandy!"

The man gave him a nod and a friendly wave.

"I need some help. My friend here needs a concierge. Who's on duty? Lumiere?"

The man identified as Sandy nodded. He took a dazed Hiccup by the hand and had him sit on on couch in front of the dressing room area. Sandy then walked away. Jack plopped onto the other end of the sofa, loosening the scarf around his neck. In an instant a spindly man appeared in front of them in a cream and brown suit. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail. His look was further accented by his cravat, and amber pin, resembling a flame.

"Monsieur Jack! Sanderson tells me you have a friend in need of..." His eyes wandered over Hiccup's from. "Help."

"Hi Lumiere." Jack gave him a friendly wave, but didn't stand. "We need a suit."

Lumiere rubbed his chin., looking Hiccup up and down. "I am sure I can do somezing about...this."

Hiccup crossed his arms defensively. "You just gestured to all of me."

Lumiere nodded. "Yes...I can fix it."

My image of North's is based on the many department stores I have seen. I live in NYC, so I go to shops like Macy's and Lord and Taylor's...but I always wanted to see shops pf past days like Abraham and Strauss. I got a good glimpse when I went to Daimaru in japan...Now that is a cool department store. GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER MACYS.


	5. Chapter 5

I lost my internet for two weeks. Pfft. I apologize.

Chapter 5: Partying with Jack

_Lumiere rubbed his chin., looking Hiccup up and down."I am sure I can do somezing about...this."_

_Hiccup crossed his arms defensively. "You just gestured to all of me."_

_Lumiere nodded. "Yes...I can fix it."_

Lumiere looked at a rack of blazers. "I will go find a few pieces. Please, wait here."

Hiccup rubbed his arm. "..."

Jack chuckled. He pulled a Fedora off a stand next to the couch and placed it on his head. "Just let Lumiere do his thing. He's never been wrong when it comes to helping a guest."Lumiere walked around the area, occasionally glancing at Hiccup and picking up more pieces of clothing.

"He's the best in the men's department, I swear." Jack slid down farther into the sofa and covered his face with the hat. "I just hope you didn't have anything else to do today."

Hiccup couldn't hear Jack 's voice clearly, as it was muffled by the hat. "What was that?"

Lumiere returned with a entire rack of clothing. "Now, I 'ave collected several outfits monsieur. Do you see anything you like?"

Hiccup looked the rack over. There were pantsuits and blazers and vests in various fabrics, along with shirts in colors from off-white to cream.

"It's all pretty nice...Much nicer than my usual wardrobe anyway."

Jack moved the hat from his face and sat up. "Ah, you're back Lumiere."The warm atmosphere of the shop was making Jack relax. He often felt more at home in the store than he did in his own. Jack slid off the couch. He began to look through the rack. "This one is nice...This is good too..."

He pressed a tweed jacket against Hiccup. "Ha ha, this one makes you look like Mister Rogers..."

Hiccup rolled his eyes, and then did a double take when he saw the price on the jacket.

"I hate to break it to you, but I don't think I can afford any of this."

Jack shrugged. "So?"

"So...I can't _wear_ any of it."

Jack laughed. "Of course you can old sport!" He pulled several articles off the rack. "All you have to do is 'borrow' it. You have a credit card, right?"

"Yeah...for emergencies."

"Monsieur, consider this a fashion emergency." Lumiere added a pile of ties and a bowtie to the clothes Jack was holding. "Simply make the purchase today, keep the clothes clean, and return zem after Jack's party."

Jack handed Hiccup a cream colored shirt, the bow tie, a dark chocolate vest, and a pair of pants. "Here, try this."

Hiccup reluctantly took the clothes and Lumiere lead him into the dressing room.

Alone in the small dressing cubby, Hiccup took a moment to observe himself. His hair was messier than usual, and he was missing two button on his coat. 'I can kinda see what Lumiere is seeing now.' He took off his coat and placed it on a hook on the wall. 'But seriously, what am I doing?'

Hiccup began tugging his shirt over his head. 'What is this? Karma? Does it work that way? You pick up a guy in the snow and he follows you around?'

He tried on the shirt. 'Maybe this is just a setup for some big joke. Let's face it, I haven't made any real friends my age in this town since I got here.' He sighed then, leaning his head on the glass. It was cold. He watched his breath on it for a moment. 'Who am I kidding?'

"Hey Hic!" Jack's voice carried from outside the dressing room. "You done?"

"J-Just a minute!" Hiccup called back. 'I'll consider this a one week friendship...A temporary thing. Jack just wants to pay me back. After the party, we'll probably never talk to each other again...' Hiccup changed into the pant and slid the vest on. He didn't bother buttoning it, and grabbed the bow tie.

Jack gave him a appraising look. "Well, you don't get the full effect like this." He stepped closer.

"..." Hiccup looked up at him. 'Just a temporary thing...'

Jack began buttoning the vest. "That's better."

Hiccup looked away, uncomfortable with the close contact. 'It doesn't mean anything.'

"And the bow tie?" Jack held up his hand.

Hiccup handed him the bowtie.

Jack undid the tie's snap and laughed. 'This is actually from the kid's collection.'

Hiccup glanced at Jack's face. There was that carefree smile he had seen many times in the hallway, after class, and on after the few lacrosse games he attended. Having it focused in his direction made him feel a little uneasy. Maybe it wasn't just a temporary thing. Maybe Jack actually wanted to hang out with him. But then, why would that be? He wasn't anything special...

"Perfect." Jack was pleased. "Do you have shoes?"

"Yeah..." 'I do actually.'

"Good, then we're done! That took a lot less time then I thought it would."

Hiccup laughed nervously. "I guess."

Jack's hand lingered on his shoulder then, causing Hiccup to look in the eye. And what eyes Jack had. A crystal blue that could not be manufactured. Hiccup found himself staring. 'Who has eyes this blue? It's kinda unreal..' But then, Hiccup was never that close to someone to know if there were more crystal-blue eyed people out there. Human contact was not something Hiccup experienced frequently.

Hiccup had become a little more quiet when they had entered North's, and that bothered Jack somewhat. Most people treated Jack differently when he was inside North's. They always wanted discounts or freebies. The fact that Hiccup hadn't asked for anything surprised him. Still Hiccup looked pretty uncomfortable. HE glanced down at Hiccup. He cleaned up pretty well, The bow-tie brought out the color in his eyes. Which on closer inspection, Jack noticed were a mossy green with small flecks of gold. He had never seen eyes like his before, and could only recall a similar description from a YA novel he had glanced at long were different, yet very fitting for Hiccup. Just like that mass of freckles spread across his face, that scar on his chin, the perplexed look in his eyes.

Jack dropped his hand from Hiccup's shoulder and cleared his throat. "So...I guess we're done."

Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck, feeling self-conscious. "Yeah..."

In what felt like seconds Hiccup bought the clothes, said his goodbyes, and began his journey back through the park. A light drizzle came down from the heavens, and was replaced with more snow. By the time he reached his house, the area was covered in white.

'Oh shoot...the scarf...' He took off his coat and boots, went to let toothless in from the backyard and headed to his room.

"I dodged a bullet today toothless." Hiccup said as he sat at his desk. There was a large open cardboard box on it, upside down. "We picked Rapunzel's work instead of mine."

Toothless tilted his head and hopped up onto Hiccup's bed.

"I don't mind working on the wall,but I really didn't think my stuff was good. Besides..." Hiccup lifted the cardboard box. "This is what I want to work on." Hidden under the box was miniature village. Tiny houses and figurines covered the desk. To the left of the town sat a set of dragons of different shapes and sizes. Hiccup had been building the island of Berk since before he moved from Berk. What started as a little house made of legos, became a whole town made of wood, plastic and metal. Hiccup had even gone as far as to use a 3D printer to make his dragons.

At the moment, he was still in the process of sketching The Night Fury, the most elusive of all the dragons he had created, and the hardest to draw. He wasn't sure what features to give the magnificent beast. He sat on his bed with his sketchbook and stared at the little world from a distance. With toothless at his side, Hiccup pondered on the mysterious Night Fury for the rest of his weekend.

That Monday Hiccup walked into school feeling gloomy. 'Here goes.' he thought to himself as he stood outside of Physics. 'Moment of truth. Jack will probably treat like he did before, I'll return the suit,get the scarf, and we can go back to our normal lives.'**  
**

But Hiccup did not see Jack that day, or the following one. After school, Hiccup came home to find Stoick rummaging through the pantry.

"Oh, uh, Hey Dad."

He received a grunt in response and something along the lines of "_Hellow Heccup_."

"So..How did it go?" Hiccup asked, pouring himself a cup of tea. Hiccup already knew how the fight went as he had watched it on Pay-per-View, but he wanted a first hand account.

"Same old, same old." Stoick replied, taking leftovers out of the fridge. "What's for dinner Heccup?"

"Oh uh, I dunno..What do you feel like Dad?"

Stoick shrugged. "I don't know, something with fish?"

Considering their Scandinavian heritage, _something with fish_ was a vague as his father could get. But, Hiccup shrugged it off and went the fridge.

"Well, we have cod, and salmon...and several other fi-You know what, I'll just pull something together."

Hiccup got to work on dinner then, and after a hour and half of work, they sat down for a dinner of Gravlax, smoked ham, dill, radishes, knackebrod, and roasted beets. It was comfort food for his father, as Stoick missed the meals he could regularly have in Berk. It was a quiet meal, as the only noises were the scraping of forks and spoons.

"So..." Stoick began suddenly, causing Hiccup to look up from his plate. "I see you purchased some things from North's."

"Yeah..." Hiccup laughed nervously then. 'And of course you would know that...Because the bank sends you notifications...'

"I didn't mean to pry, but it stuck out between all the groceries and the, er...hobby stuff."

Hiccup knew the 'hobby stuff' meant his material for his village, and pretended not to hear the tone in his father's voice.

"So...You have a date coming up?"

Hiccup set down his fork. "What? N-No, Dad I just bought that stuff because-"

"A friend of mine told me the school dance is coming up.."

"Well this isn't for that Dad, this is for-"

"I remember when I was your age...Young, strapping thing I was..A boy yer age doesn't get dressed up for just anyone..."

"That's the thing Dad, it's not just anyone, but it's what you think, because it's a party-"

"I suppose it's about tie some lass has caught yer eye..."

"I guess but this isn't.." hiccup sighed "...nevermind."

Stoick went on into a tale of his own adventure as a young man, while Hiccup stared at his radishes.

Hiccup didn't see Jack for the rest of the week, that is, until Friday. It was early morning. hiccup had just finished eating breakfast and cleaning up the kitchen. He heard a horn honk outside. It seemed like some irate driver was trying to get someone's attention. Hiccup ignored the noise, grabbed his stuff and headed out the door.

"Hey! Hiccup!"

Hiccup blinked. "Oh..."

It wasn't a irate driver. It was Jackson Overland, sitting in a new Mercury Milan.

"North got me a early birthday present."

Hiccup stepped up to the car. "That's great..."

Jack had his signature smile out in full force. "Well, don't just stare at it, get in!"

Hiccup crossed over to the passenger side and got into the car. The seats were warm and made of he held his backpack in his lap, Hiccup could only wonder what strange fantasy world he had slipped into. He looked over at Jack, who was once again wearing the autumn scarf. Jack revved up the engine and headed for school. He wasn't exactly speeding, but the scenery was going by a little too fast for Hiccup's taste.**  
**

"I know it's that that far from here but..." Jack made a turn onto another street. 'I'll take any reason to drive this thing that I can get."

Hiccup looked out the window. "Hey, Jack, do you have a permit or a license?"

"Permit." Jack replied.

"Don't you need a adult in the car?"

"Hiccup, how old are you?'

"Sixteen."

"Good, I'm seventeen." Jack said, keeping his eyes on the road. " We've got 33 years of experience between us. We'll be fine."

Hiccup fastened his seat-belt. 'Great Odin, what have I done?'

To Hiccup's delight they made it to Burgess high in one piece. Jack's parking was in need of work, but assured Hiccup he would get better with practice. Hiccup simply nodded at that, but wanted to be as far away from his 'practice' as possible. As they trudged up the steps towards Burgess high, Hiccup tapped Jack on the shoulder.

"Hey...Jack.."

"Hm?"

"There's something I need..."

The smile fell from Jack's face then. They had been getting along so well. But Jack knew it was never too long before someone asked him for something. What would it be this time? Money?A date with a girl? A discount? Hiccup was just like everyone else...

"Can I have my scarf back please?"

Jack blinked. 'Well, bang goes that theory.' "Do I have to give it back? I mean, it's so warm...and comfy...I couldn't find one like it either."

Hiccup's shoulders drooped. "It was my Mom's..I mean, she made it,so there's not gonna be another one like it..." He dug the heel of his left boot further into the snow. "Please?"

Hiccup looked helpless then, like a kicked puppy. Jack felt like a remorseful bully.

"Alright man." Jack slowly removed the long scarf from around his neck. The cold air made him shiver.

He handed it to Hiccup, who looked relieved instantly.

Hiccup smiled. "Thank you."

"..." 'His smile is a bit crooked...' Jack thought. 'But I think it suits him.'

Before Hiccup realized it, it was Saturday night, and he was headed to Hotel Tartakovsky. Jack hadn't showed up top the mural meeting, but Hiccup figured he probably had other things to attend to. Rapunzel had come quite far in revisions, and the work had been divided up, so Jack would have no reason to come anymore. He made the effort to leave while Stoick was at the gym, so as not to receive anymore 'helpful date tips'. When he arrived at the hotel, other kids from his school and one he didn't recognize were entering the building. He entered after them, and unlike most of them, carried a small gift. The small cluster walked through the hotel's main lobby, dropped their coats at the overly large holding room, which Hiccup couldn't help but stare at, and they entered the main ballroom. The space was large an filled with noise.

'Wow...when he said a 'Gatsby party, he meant it.'

A live band was playing jazz, amplified by speakers and bouncing off the walls. Hiccup was pretty sure the entire school, and maybe two others were there. He spotted Mavis and tried to call to her, but was drowned out by the noise. He did get her attention however, when a nearby jock grabbed his present and started playing catch with it.

She walked over. "HEY!"

The two boys disappeared into the crowd. Hiccup shook his head and looked back at her. "Hey, Mavis."

"Glad to see you could make it." She smiled at him. "Now there are two sensible people at this party."

She shook her head. "Speaking of which, have you seen Jack?"

Hiccup shook his head. "No..."

Mavis smiled. "Them, do you mind helping me find him? He disappeared right after the party started."

Hiccup rubbed his arm. "Uh...sure." He glanced around. Aside from the spacious floor, there was a staircase leading to a higher dining area. Hiccup could see a door leading to a balcony. 'I bet I could see better up there...' "I'll meet you by the staircase in twenty minutes."

"Cool. Thanks."

Hiccup slowly made his way through the room and up the stairs. He surveyed the party from above.

'Yep. Definitely a Gatsby party.' He pinched himself. 'Nope. This craziness is all real.' Aside form the jazz band and pool, there was a ostrich on a table on the far right side of the room. Two boys were drowning themselves in a chocolate fountain. He also saw Ms. Ana scolding them about it. Even form high up, he could tell she was complaining about the health of their teeth. He chuckled and shook his head. A tinkling of glass caught his attention. 'Sounds like someone is on the balcony...'

Hiccup walked out onto the balcony, the cold night air hit him like a ton of bricks. Sitting on the ground was Jack. He was wearing a white pantsuit with solver cuff-links, a dark grey shirt, a brown vest and a yellow tie. The tinkling Hiccup had heard was a broken champagne glass. Jack's hair was slightly disheveled, he raked a hand through it, eyes resting on Hiccup.

"Huh..." Hiccup took a step back. "Well, you seem like you want to be alone, so I think I'll just-"

"No."

"Huh?"  
"I don't think I should be alone right now."

"Oh..." Hiccup rubbed his arms. "Alright..."

Hiccup leaned against the door. Jack turned his attention back to the nighttime seen of downtown Burgess. Hiccup watched puffs of breath move infront of his face.

"Aren't you cold, Jack?"

"No." Jack's voice sounded strained, as if he had been yelling for hours. He smiled. "I'm Jack Frost, remember?"

Hiccup laughed nervously. "Yeah, right. But I don't think this is good for the cold you had the other."  
He heard the clacking of heels. Mavis came up behind him, arms crossed. "There you are. Come down and get your party under control."

Jack glanced at Mavis, as if making sure she was actually there. "No Mavy-wavy, don't frown. You'll mess up that pretty face."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAnd done. Thank you. See you soon. Sorry for the delay, but...no internet...so...yeah. Review?


	6. Chapter 6

These typos I'm noticing…. They scare me. Anyone willing to Beta?  
P.S. In case you were wondering, Stoick saying 'Heccup' is not a typo.

Stalking with Jack

Hiccup blinked. In about five minutes, Jack had gone through a complete transformation. Gone was the slightly disheveled mess he had found on the balcony. Jack returned to the party at Mavis's command and become the Jack that Hiccup knew a little better: the center of attention. He was chatting or dancing with anyone near him. Hiccup watched from a small distance. The only thing keeping him from becoming a wallflower was Jack pulling him back into conversation.  
Hiccup pulled gently at his bowtie. 'Well, I showed up. I suppose I could just sneak away the next time he dances with someone.'

"Hi, Hiccup!"

Hiccup turned to see Rapunzel looking slightly nervous.  
"Oh, hey Rapunzel."  
Rapunzel wasn't exactly dressed or the party, and wearing a purple messenger bag. "I was picking something up for my Mother at St. North's when Mr. North told me to stop by Jack's party." She played with a strand of hair. "I've never been to one these before." She bit her lip. "I don't even recognize anyone…"  
Hiccup rubbed his arm. "Yeah, I know the feeling."  
"Hey! Goldie!" Jack was back and slightly inebriated.  
"Glad you could make it!" The smile slipped off his face. "Wait a second…"  
At this point Hiccup wasn't sure which Jack was present.  
Mavis made her way to the trio. "Hey Rapunzel!" She patted Jack's arm and whispered something into his ear.  
Jack disappeared then, off into the crowd.  
"What happened?" Hiccup asked.  
Mavis shook her head. "Damage control. North is coming after the store closes, and Jack has to start killing the party."  
Rapunzel looked around. "Kill the party? You mean its gonna end soon?"  
Mavis shook her head. "Not exactly. He's gonna speed things up. This should be over by midnight."  
"Gosh that's late." Just then Rapunzel's bag shook, her phone vibrating. She pulled it out and her eyes widened at the sight of the number. "Mother." Her voice was barely a whisper. Terror spread across her face. "I gotta go! I'll see you guys after break!" With that sh e dashed away, out of the ballroom.  
'Guess she's got a curfew.' Hiccup thought, shrugging at Mavis's puzzled stare. "So how is he going to speed this up?"  
Mavis smiled. "Watch and see."  
As it turned out, 'speeding the party up' involved a zebra, a karaoke machine, and Mavis's father throwing a fit. By midnight the party had cleared out with the exception of Hiccup, who stayed behind to help with cleanup. The janitor staff moved like zombies, trudging around the room. Jack had fallen asleep twice holding his broom and Mavis and her father were having a hushed argument in the corner.  
"Hey." Hiccup said, shaking Jack's arm.  
"Hm?" Jack blinked a few times. "Hey, Hic."  
"We only have a little more to go." He held up his broom. "I'll race you."  
Jack smiled then, the genuine smile, not the drunken one he had worn for the last few hours. "Sure thing man."  
Jack and Hiccup shoveled trash across the room, fixing it all into a huge heap near the entrance.  
It was three races later when Jack slid into the leap, laughing hysterically as he crashed. Hiccup offered him a hand and Jack took it, yanking hard and pulling Hiccup down into the mess. Caught off guard, Hiccup stared at Jack for a moment. He was partially on Jack's lap, one hand steadying him and the other in the garbage. He couldn't help but crack a smile, there was something strangely infectious about Jack's laughter. Mavis was laughing too, and her father was shaking his head, but smiling all the while.  
"Heccup!"  
Hiccup jumped, standing upright. He definitely hadn't been expecting to see his father step into the room. Stoick didn't look too happy either.  
"Do you have any idea what time it is?" Stoick towered over Jack and Hiccup.  
The sight of the pro wrestler sobered Jack up quickly. 'Oh crap…It's the Hairy Hooligan…'  
"Hey Dad. Sorry, I kind of lost track of time."  
Stoick wore a look of disapproval Hiccup had seen many times hung his head. Soon a speech chock full of disappointment and peppered with moments from Stoick's past would pass from the hooligan's mouth to his son's ears.  
Hiccup prepared himself for the speech, but it stopped due to a sudden stream of people and a large cake. The day crew of St. North's had turned up, singing 'Happy Birthday' and pushing a cake into the room.  
As the song came to an end, Jack blew out the candles and everyone applauded.  
North emerged from the small crowd and pulled Jack out of the crowd. "Happy Birthday! Did you enjoy your party?"  
Jack dusted himself off. "Yeah, it was great. Thanks a lot."  
"Haddock! What are you doing here?" North said, glancing at Stoick.  
"North." Stoick said, turning his attention from his son. "Ah. I was looking for my son, Heccup." He patted Hiccup on the head. "Found him."  
"So this is the Hiccup that Jack has told me about." North laughed and shook Hiccup's hand, along with the rest of his body. "Nice to meet you."  
Hiccup looked North over. Never before had he seen a man as formidable as his father. 'He's like Santa on steroids or something.'  
"I hope you will both be coming to our Christmas party."  
"Funny you should mention that." Stoick said and looked at his son. "I was going to keep it a surprise, but Heccup and I are headed back down to Berk for the holidays."  
Hiccup was surprised. "We are?"  
Stoick nodded.  
True, they had visited Berk a few times since they moved to Burgess, but it was usually on the way to something else. Hiccup supposed it would be a good thing for his father to go home. His only concern was how Toothless would adapt to where they would stay.  
"Aw…" Jack returned to them, holding a plate of cake. "I was totally hoping we could swap presents at the party."  
"That's okay." North shook his head. "You come to New Year's gala instead."  
Stoick stroked his massive beard. "I'm not sure-"  
"We'll be back by then, right Dad?"  
"I guess." Stoick sighed. "We leave in two days."  
"It's settled then." Jack said. "Now let's eat cake."

Soon Hiccup was sitting in the back of his Father's Buick, and the two of them were headed home. Toothless was scratching at the door when they returned.  
"I wasn't expecting you to stay out so late, Heccup." Stoick said, as he hung up his coat.  
Hiccup nodded. "I know. I'm sorry, Dad. I didn't know the party would last so long. But I did leave a note and dinner in the kitchen."  
Stoick nodded. "That you did." He walked down the short hall, towards the stairs. "Well, you've got two days to get packed and say yer goodbyes. We'll be in Berk from the 23rd to the 30th."  
"Where are we staying?" Hiccup asked. He scooped Toothless up into his arms.  
"With my brother."  
Hiccup cringed. 'That means…A week with Snoutlout.'  
"Oh…Joy."

Hiccup lay in bed that night, or rather morning, staring at the ceiling. His brain was buzzing from all the sugar in Jack's birthday cake. Toothless was curled up in a ball on his stomach. 'Jack did it again today. I wonder what's wrong.'  
_"I was totally hoping we could swap presents at the party."_  
'Jack sounded like he was actually excited when he said that. I suppose I could pick out something for him. Or make something before I go.' His eyes rested on the model village on his desk. 'Maybe not something like that…'  
He closed his eyes. 'I've got a day to figure this out.'

Hiccup set out the next morning to find ideas for a Christmas present, along with souvenirs for family and friends in Berk. It was snowing once again, covering Burgess in a layer of frost. Hiccup's first stop was the strip mall on the other side of Burgess. He was in a crafting mood, and figured that walking around the hobby shop would give him some ideas.  
The Burgess hobby shop was a full of knick knacks and kits to make almost anything. Hiccup went there often to pick up pieces for his village. He walked up and down the aisles, stopping for a moment in the canvas section. There he found Rapunzel trying to pick up a 11 x 17 canvas while trying to hold three rolls of yarn. "Oh hey Hiccup." She dropped a roll. "Oh, darn it."  
"Let me help you with that." He picked up the roll. "What's the yarn for ?"  
"Oh, I'm going to make a sweater for my Mother."  
He noticed several bruises on her hand. "Did something happen to you?"  
"What?" She jumped, dropping the other rolls. "Oh darn it!"  
Hiccup grabbed the other rolls.  
"Did you hurt yourself?"  
"Yeah." Rapunzel tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Clumsy me."  
"Is it hard? Knitting, I mean. My mom showed me when I was little, but…"  
Rapunzel shook her head. "Oh no, it's actually easier than you think. Especially if you know a little about it already. They sell a great beginner's kit here. In no time at all you can learn how to make mittens…or a scarf."  
"A scarf huh." It wasn't a bad idea. Jack liked his mother's scarf. Why not give him his own? "I'll think I'll try that, thanks."  
"You're welcome." She looked at the ground. "I can help you…if you want."  
Hiccup smiled. "That would be great actually. Thanks."  
Rapunzel led Hiccup to a aisle of needles and yarn. She picked up a book. "Here's a good beginners guide…Oh! And here is the beginner's kit I told you about."  
"Too bee honest, this was a last minute decision, and I'm a little strapped for time. Can you show me a few pointers?"  
"Sure. We can stop by the library. They have books with easy patterns."  
"Sounds like a plan."  
Rapunzel and Hiccup spent two hours in the library, sitting on beanbags in a corner. The Burgess library was a old red brick building that stood two stories high. It was quiet and warm and full of people trying to escape the cold. Hiccup and Rapunzel were on the second floor surrounded by books. It was a little after two when Rapunzel left; her Mother apparently needed her at home.  
Hiccup spent another half hour practicing his craft. He left the library with a stack of books and a bag of supplies. Remembering the souvenirs, he headed back home to retrieve the suit he 'borrowed' and went to North's. The store was just as busy as ever, with tourists and shoppers walking around on each floor. Hiccup headed straight up to the men's department first to ditch the suit . He figured if anything he could get store credit and use it towards the gifts for his relatives.  
He found Lumiere fixing a display in the sportswear section.  
"Hey, Lumiere."  
"Ah monsieur Hiccup! Welcome back to North's."  
"I came to return the suit…and I kinda need advice on Christmas presents."  
"You came to the right place. St. North's has somezing for everyone. First, let us return ze clothes."  
After a remarkably short return process, Lumiere sent Hiccup up to the third floor's clearance section. Lumiere had been right. There was a little something for everything up there; from discounted golf clubs to tool sets. It seemed to have everything he was looking for, even Jack.  
'Jack?!'  
Jack was crouched next to a clothing rack. He seemed to be watching someone or something. Hiccup took a deep breath, added this sighting to the list of Jack's odd behavior' in his brain, and crouched down behind him. He tapped Jack on the shoulder.  
Jack jumped. "Ah! What the-"  
"What are you doing here?"  
"Shh!" Jack raised a finger to his lips. He turned back around. Whoever he had been watching had moved, he stood, ran, and quickly ducked behind a shopping cart. Hiccup sat next to the clothing rack. 'I don't even know how to describe this. Does he do this all the time?'  
He followed Jack's line of eyesight. There was a group of girls, somewhere between ten or twelve years old, standing in a cluster. They were admiring a set of glass figurines. Among them was a girl with choppy brown hair, her bangs hiding one eye. She reminded Hiccup of his first crush, Astrid. Her bangs had always been a little off, ever since the time she had cut them herself in the second grade.  
The girl moved away from the group and headed towards the escalator. Jack shifted his focus then, just to her. He waited until she got on the escalator, stood , and followed her down. Hiccup stood up then and watched the escalator. There were three people between Jack and the girl. He got on behind a elderly couple and followed Jack.  
The girl got off on the next landing. She looked slightly nervous, and glanced behind herself twice. Of course, every time she looked around Jack would duck behind something else. Eventually she made her way  
to the bathroom. At that point Jack let her be, and wandered off into the juvenile section. Hiccup caught up with him then.  
"Jack!"  
Jack flinched. "What re you? Some kind of ninja?"  
"What are you even…"Hiccup crossed his arms. "Forget it….I probably shouldn't even bother…"  
"Bother what?" Jack said, eye narrowing.  
"Nothing. It's none of my business what's going here anyway."  
"Really?" Jack asked.  
"Yeah." Hiccup dropped his arms to his sides.  
"So…you're going away for winter vacation?"  
"Yeah. Back to Berk for Snoggletog. It's our hometown."  
"But I thought you came from here."  
"Nope. I moved here from Berk when I was nine. We go back every now and then. I really don't understand why we moved in the first place since Dad loves it so much."  
Jack looked at the doorway leading to the woman's bathroom, then back at Hiccup. "What kind of place is Berk?"  
"Eh…"Hiccup rubbed his arm. "It's a cold, suburban town full of Scandinavian people who think they're Vikings. Everyone is just a little bit obnoxious, and we all have weird names to ward off bad spirits."  
"Is that why they named you Hiccup?"  
"Well…Hiccup is a family name…but its given to the runt of the litter. As far as I know, I'm the latest Hiccup to come out that place. My grandfather was also named Hiccup Horrendous Haddock. I'm the third."  
"That's gotta be one of the coolest names I've ever heard."  
Hiccup blushed, looked at the ground, and scratched his head.  
"No…It's nothing special." He checked his phone. "Anyway, I only came here to get gifts for my family. I'm going back up to clearance."  
"Oh…" Jack looked back at the bathroom, then at Hiccup. "Okay, but-"  
"But what?"  
"How come you never ask?" Jack's attention was completely directed at Hiccup.  
"Ask…what exactly?"  
"What's wrong with me?" Jack had a serious expression on his face, mixed with a bit of concern.  
"Oh." Hiccup looked away for a moment. "Well, I just figured you would tell me if you wanted me to know."  
"I see." Jack crossed his arms.  
The girl emerged from the bathroom. Jack ducked behind a mannequin.

"But you're not..." Hiccup searched for the right words as he looked between the girl and jack. "No, No way!" Jack said. "It's not like that! This isn't Dateline!" Hiccup laughed. 'I didn't think so. Just checking."  
"Well, happy buying. Make sure you take advantage of our gift wrapping services!"  
Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Sure. I guess I'll see you in a week."  
"Yeah, I'd see you off, but I've got practice for the next few days…" His voice was barely above a whisper.  
"I understand. See you." Hiccup headed back up to clearance, leaving Jack to spy on the girl. Hiccup deemed the situation odd, but there was something about the way he was spying her.  
'I'll check on them on my way out.'  
He spent the next hour digging in bargain bins and shifting through racks until he found gifts for his family. Once he was satisfied, he headed home. His knitting still needed a little work, and he was eager to get back to his needlework. He took an hour to practice before working on his goal: Jack's scarf.  
Stoick came out of his training room to make himself a snack. Usually, if Hiccup was home, he would make his father a sandwich and leave it in the fridge. He hadn't heard Hiccup come back in, so he was surprised when he saw him in the living room. What surprised him the most was what his son was doing.  
"Son…Are you _knitting_?"  
Hiccup looked up from the pattern. "Uh…yeah. Hey, Dad."  
Stoick furrowed his brow for a moment. He had always been worried about his son. Hiccup never brought friends over. When he was younger, he tried a few sports, but nothing really stuck, and after a while Stoick stopped pushing him. Hiccup had only concerned himself with two things: his tinkering and his cat.  
It was nice to see Hiccup pick up a new hobby, but then, for Stoick the hobby was not new to the Haddock household. Val had knitted and sewn things for him. Things she made were scattered around the house, including the scarf Hiccup wore frequently.  
With Val absent from the house, Hiccup had picked up all the chores. Val had shown him a few things during his childhood, so cooking wasn't that foreign to Hiccup. Cleaning had always been a habit of his. As a child, Hiccup never had a messy room. The only 'mess' would be his collection of dragon drawings.  
So, Stoick was happy to see Hiccup outside his room, but also cautious about the change in attitude. He looked in the fridge. However there was no sandwich waiting for him this time. Stoick stroked his beard. 'Hm…..'  
Stoick made his own meal and retired to his room.  
Hiccup resumed his work on the scarf. 'If I just cut this out…'  
At midnight , Stoick came down again for a light dinner. He and Hiccup had dinner several hours ago. Hiccup had still been working on the scarf when he called his father down for dinner. Hiccup was still huddled on the couch, adding more details to the scarf. Toothless was swatting a ball of yarn around at Hiccup's feet.  
"Son." Stoick began, crossing his arms.  
Hiccup looked up from the scarf. "Uh…Hi."  
"I've decided son, to move up our trip."  
"Hiccup put down the needles. "Sure, what time do you want to leave?"  
"Tomorrow afternoon."  
"Oh…" Hiccup looked down at the scarf. 'I was going to drop this by Jack's before we left. That doesn't give me much time.'  
"Uh, sure. I'm almost done packing anyway."  
"I'm almost done. I'll just add details in the morning." He yawned and closed his eyes. "Just a little nap…"

The next thing Hiccup knew, he was waking up again. Toothless was kneading his sweater, trying to settle down on Hiccup's stomach. "Oh hey, bud. Morning."  
Hiccup glanced a the table. Jack's scarf was folded and nearly complete; he wanted to add a few more snowflakes. The television was still on. The news repeat was playing, with the words 'previously recorded' stamped in the top left corner of the screen.  
'The repeat show? That means…'  
It was eleven thirty. Nearly noon.  
"Hel's skirts!"  
Hiccup jumped up and ran upstairs, he pulled off his clothes and changed into a hoodie and a pair of jeans. "Toothless! Let's go for a walk buddy!"  
He ran back downstairs and picked up the scarf.  
'It came out good, all things considered.'  
He took a bag from the kitchen drawer and some left over tissue paper form his family's gifts. "And now its presentable."  
When he got to the front door, Toothless was waiting with his leash in his mouth. "Good boy."  
He opened the front door. And stepped outside. His father was backing out of the driveway. "Ah, yer awake, I was just about to wake you and Toothless. Everything's ready, all the luggage is in the car. Let's get a move on."  
"That's cool Dad. But how about we make a little pit stop?"

The shouts of Burgess high school's lacrosse coach echoed across the field. Jack was sprawled out in the grass, his trusty lacrosse stick next to him. In his opinion, it was way to early fro drills. At the same time, he understood the urgency. 'Coach Shang doesn't have much time left at Burgess. He wants to get us a trophy before the next evaluation.'  
He rolled over. The coach, a tall , tan man of Asian descent, was barking at his teammates. Jack decided it would be best to get up on his own before Shang gave him a piece of his mind. 'That guy needs to find a girlfriend.'

Hiccup hopped out of the car and headed for Burgess field. He breath came out in little white puffs as he hurried over. The gate was open. He spotted Jack sitting in the stands, sipping something out of a Styrofoam cup. The other team members were in the stands or running laps around the track at the other end of the field. "Jack!"  
Hiccup went up the walkway that lead away form the field and into the stands.  
"Hey Hic!" Jack grinned. "Where's the fire?"  
"Dad… moved up our departure." He handed Jack the bag. "I wanted to give you...your gift…"  
"My gift…" Jack looked at the bag. "But I didn't even get you anything yet."  
"It's no big deal." Hiccup said, stuffing his hands into his pockets.  
Jack pulled the scarf out of the bag. It was soft and blue, almost matching his eyes. Little snowflakes had been stitched in, in shades of blue and white.  
"Wow.."  
"It's a little rough around the edges. I mean, I made it and-"  
Hiccup was cut off by a sudden hug. He found his face buried in Jack's tracksuit. He took a deep breath then, inhaling something akin to mint and pine. 'He kinda smells like Christmas.'  
Hiccup was still dazed when Jack released him. Jack put the scarf on, wrapping it around his neck. "It's so warm…it's perfect." He smiled.  
Hiccup felt his heart pounding. 'He should warn someone before he smiles like that.' He swallowed hard. "Well, I'm glad you like it."  
A car horn blared in the distance. Stoick was getting impatient.  
"Ah…" Hiccup looked in the direction of the parking lot. "Sounds like it's time for me to go. See you in a few days."  
"Alright."  
"OVERLAND!"  
Shang's voice echoed across the field.  
Jack glanced at his coach. "See ya."

I apologize for the long wait. But look how long these chapters are

**Coach Shang is Captain Shang from Mulan.**  
**Hel is Loki's daughter. Since Stoick and co. always make reference to Thor, I figured Hiccup could mention some other figures form norse mythology**


	7. Chapter 7

A thousand pardons.

Jack is beginning to look like a type A nutcase. Sitting in the snow, refusing to go home, drinking alone at his own party, stalking little girls…All-or most, will be explained in due time.

**Texting with Jack**

Hiccup returned to the car with a flushed face and a pounding heart. Jack's hug had come as a surprise. There was something about the way Jack had suddenly grabbed him…Hiccup couldn't quite put his finger on it. Toothless squirmed around in his carrier next to him. Hiccup took a peek inside. "Don't worry buddy, I'll let you out at every rest stop."

Berk was a town with its own island, one of a few on the Alaskan peninsula. On average it was freezing. On a good day it was blistering.

The drive was long, considering Burgess was on the other side of the country. They made several stops across the states. Hiccup's mind wandered between his stay in Berk, and his life in Burgess. In Berk he had acquaintances. He chatted several of his childhood friends online and made the effort to see them anytime he was in Berk. In Burgess his 'friendships' were almost non-existent before Jack. He joined Ms. Ana's art club out of pity, and spoke with it's other members now and then, but there was nothing significant there. It wasn't until that cold night he found Jack in snow that he started having a real relationship with another person.

Thinking about Jack made his heart start pounding again. His head felt fuzzy, and his stomach seemed to be doing flips. Hiccup thought it was heartburn, considering the weird things they ate on their way to Berk. After all, it couldn't be Jack that was making him feel this way. Jack, with his smile, and his laugh, and his eyes like a bright blue sky…

Hiccup curled up in the backseat and tried not to think about anything for the remainder of the ride. Finally they left there car on the mainland and hauled their luggage on to the boat to Berk.

Hiccup took his mother's scarf out of a duffel bag and wrapped it around his neck. He held Toothless' carrier. "Look, bud! We're almost home!"

Stoick glanced at his son. Hopefully Hiccup would be bringing someone else to this island one day.

When the boat docked, Stoick and Hiccup found themselves swarmed with happy relatives and friends. Uncle Spitelout welcomed Stoick with a hearty handshake and Hiccup with a bone crushing hug. His wife, Freda, did what she was known for, and fainted on the spot.

Snotlout shook his head and tried to prop his mother up. 'Fainting' Freda's head rolled.

"Oh come on, Mom." Snotlout rolled his eyes. "You do this every time!"

Among the welcoming party were Astrid, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut- Hiccup's chatroom buddies. After Spitelout set him down, they greeted him.

"Hey Hiccup!" Fishlegs bore a small wrapped package. "Welcome back!"  
"The hairy hooligan returns!" Ruffnut said.

"And the hairless runt." Tuffnut murmed.

Astrid nudged Tuffnut hard in the ribs and smiled. "Happy Snoggletog."

Hiccup felt a little warmer on the inside. Or, as warm as one could feel on the chilly isle that was Berk. "Thanks." He smiled.

"Brother." Spitelout said, "Welcome back to Berk. Now, we will have a feast in honor of your return."

There was a round of shouts that sounded less like cheering and more like battlecries. Hiccup shook his head. Once again he had been thrown into the time and ice frozen village of vikings.

Almost every person in town showed up at the Haddock's ancestrial home. Fishlegs peppered Hiccup with questions about 'the big city' while everyone gorged themselves with food. Fish, pigs,and sheep were the main sources of nutrient in Berk, served with any small vegetables that survived in the nearly barren soil.

"So, cousin." Snotlout began, cutting into the conversation. "Got yourself a girlfriend in the city?"

Hiccup nearly choked on his soup. "Nope, not at the moment Snotlout. I've been kinda preoccupied...with...other things."

"Like that mural you told me about."

"Yup." Hiccup nodded. "Important stuff there. No time for anything else."

"Sounds..."Tuffnut began.

"Boring..."Ruffnut finished.

Hiccup rubbed his arm. "...So, how are you guys?"

"Pretty good." Fishlegs replied. "My LARP guild is really taking off."

Astrid nodded. "Alright. I taught stormfly this new trick..."

"I'm totally bench pressing like, 280 now." Snotlout announced.

Ruffnut laughed. "He wishes. I got this new tattoo..."

Tuffnut observed the mark. "Isn't that a bruise from last week ?"

"I'm gonna go take some food up to toothless." Hiccup said, standing. "Be right back."

Toothless was pacing around the guest room. Hiccup gave him a scratch behind the ears and a plate of scraps.

"I'll be back soon buddy." He returned to the dining room.

Snotlout was balancing a plate of food on his finger. Astrid was rolling her eyes.

"So I'm sue you'll all be happy to hear that I'm training to join the Wrestling federation." He set the plate down. "Yep. Someone's gotta uphold the Hairy Hooligan legacy."

Spitelout grinned. "He's a chip off the old block."

Hiccup took his seat and tried not to make eye contact with anyone. 'Yeah...Unlike me.'

Hiccup felt his heart sink a little. Every time he was in Berk, he had to be reminded of his place in the great circle of vikings. His family had served as villages leaders and eventually majors for years. While Spitelout had control of the community, he was pretty sure his father would eventually return and take his place as Mayor of Berk. As much as Hiccup liked Berk, returning to it gave him a sense of dread. His father had already announced his retirement from Wrestling. It was only a matter of time before Hiccup would be back for good, back to being the biggest disappointment in Haddock history.

He spent the rest of the day indoors, only coming out for the occasional walk with T

Toothless.

It was during one of these walks when his cellphone rang.

"Hello?"

"Merry Christmas Hic!"  
It was Jack. A small smile formed on Hiccup's face. "Merry Christmas Jack." He stopped walking. Toothless looked up at him. "I almost forgot it was Christmas."

"What!? How can you forget Christmas?"

"Christmas is often overshadowed by Snoggletog here. The only reminder is the pine tree in the square. And even then, it's decorated with fake weapons."

"I guess that makes sense. Wait, did you say weapons?"

"Uh huh. They're tributes to the Gods, so they'll watch over us in battle. Not that Berk has gone to battle' in like, a hundred years."

"Wow. Your hometown sounds hardcore."

Hiccup shook his head, even though Jack couldn't see him. "It's like a time warp, Jack. If it weren't for the ferry boat or the occasional truck, I'd swear I was in the middle ages."

"...So I'm guessing you didn't get anything for Christmas then?"

"I don't know yet." Hiccup began to walk again. "We give gifts at night. When do you get yours?"

"North is into the Christmas morning thing. Big breakfast, then we open presents. It's his favorite holiday-I pretty sure 'cause it gives him a legitimate reason to dress up like Santa Claus."

"I think every kid who's ever visited 's thinks your Dad is Santa." Hiccup laughed. "He has that Miracle on 34th street thing going on."

Jack chuckled. "Yeah, I thought he was Santa too. When I first met him, it was right before Christmas. He wanted to adopt me." Jack;s voice was softer then. "I wasn't to thrilled about the idea at first, but he really tried to be a good guardian for me. Plus, his house was full of toys. I definitely thought he was Santa for like, a year."

"Well, the 'Naughty/Nice' tattoos certainly add to the image." Hiccup could hear noise in the background.

"Ah, it's time for dinner. I'll talk to you later." Jack sounded a little reluctant to hang up.

"I forgot it was later back home. Good night Jack."

"G'night Hic."

Hiccup slipped his phone back into his pocket.

_Hic_. There was that nickname again. All it took was for Jack to remove a syllable and his name sounded completely different.

Someone nudged Hiccup's shoulder.

"Ah! Oh, Hi Fishlegs."

Fishlegs had a mischievous smile on his face. "Sooo, who were _you_ talking to just now?"  
"Huh? Just a friend from back home. Why?" Hiccup blinked in confusion.

"Just a friend huh? That big smile on your face says differently."

Hiccup frowned. "What?"

"I haven't seen you that happy since you got here. Snotlout was right! You do have someone back in the city!"

Hiccup crossed his arms. "I do not!"

"Riiiight." Fishlegs shook his head. "So, are they into dragons like you, or art or something?"

"O doubt that my **friend** likes dragons as much as I do. And my **friend** is more of the athletic type."

"So, you found another Astrid then?"

Toothless began to tug on his leash. Hiccup scooped him up. "Ah...Getting cold bud?"

"I was suprised when you gave up on Astrid so easily. But, since you found someone new-"

'Look. Number one: It was never gonna work with Astrid. Two: It's definitely nott gonna work with Jack, on account that I don't like him that way. Three: I need to get my cat inside."

"You wanna grab a mug at Gobber's?"

"Okay."

Hiccup and Fishlegs ducked into Gobber's MEAT and TEETH, the part-dentistry clinic part restaurant the Gobber ran out of his home. It was the closest thing Berk had to offer to a real hangout spot, and peopel of all ages were packed into its little booths.

"So what's Jack like?"

"He's...nice."

"Does he LARP?"

Hiccup laughed nervously. "Nope. I don't think so. Not the type."  
"Oh. Well you said he's athletic right? How?"  
"Jack plays on the school's lacrosse team.""Cool. So, you've seen him play?'  
"Once." Hiccup rubbed his arm. Talking about Jack made him feel slightly uncomfortable. But why? It wasn't like he was saying anything bad. Would he feel this way if Jack asked him about Fishlegs? No.

Hiccup was certain of that. If Jack asked about Fishlegs, he would have probably old him anything.

"I saw him play once after school started."

Ms. Ana had suggested that they attend the game to get organic poses for their art homework. Hiccup had watched Jack race across the filed, scoring, watching, calculating. He was different than the Jack he knew from class. A little more serious.

"He was pretty good." He sipped his cider. That thudding in his chest was back.

Hiccup stared at his mug. Fishlegs went in to a monologue about his precious dog. Toothless began to knead into Hiccup's leg. Hiccup let his friend continue for another twenty minutes before excusing himself and heading home. He exchanged greetings with his father before returning to his room. Before he could get comfortable, his phone rang. It was a text message from Jack.

JUST GOT A NEW SOUND SYSTEM. CANT WAIT TO BE OBNOXIOUS. :) -Jack

Hiccup smiled at that.

Congrats. But don't expect me to ride in there.-Hiccup

Hiccup was about to turn his phone off when Jack responded with:

But ur supposed to be my wingman. It's no fun alone. :( -Jack

Hiccup sighed and replied:

Fine. But only if you play daft punk. Hiccup thought it would end there but then Jack answered:

Damn Straight we're playing Daft Punk. The entire soundtrack of interstellar 5555. -Jack

Hiccup was suprised.

Wow. Most people don't even know about that movie -Hiccup

I'm not most people.-Jack.

Their exchange continued for another hour before Hiccup fell asleep. Jack proceeded to text Hiccup everynight until he left Burgess. Hiccup had learned a lot about Jack then. He liked house music. He hated disney sitcoms.. He was a former World of Warcraft addict. He used tumblr. The more Jack revealed, the more Hiccup realised they had in common. It wasn't long before Hiccup was in the backseat of his Father's car headed home. He wondered what he would discover about Jack next.


	8. Chapter 8

I have a feeling this chapter should be called 'Meet me at the party, stuff is going down' but let's stick with the current format, shall we?

Chapter: New Years with Jack

Hiccup awoke from his two-state nap to find they had finally arrived in Burgess. The Christmas mood was still in effect. Every tree was covered in dazzling lights. Music was pouring from tin speakers tied to street posts. The windows of North's department store featured mannequin's giving presents in one panel and partying in another. North's end of year celebration was tomorrow. Stoick drove them home.

After they arrived, Hiccup spent half hour going through mail and checking the house. Everything was just as they had left it. He took a hour long nap before wakibg up to prepare dinner. Tired of the delicacies of Berk, Hiccup settled on making meatloaf and mashed potatoes.

Sometime after dinner Hiccup awoke on the couch to the sensation of Toothless kneading into his sweater.

He sat up slowly, yawning. It was a little past eleven. The house was warm, a change from the drafty room he occupied in Berk. Part of him missed the chill, but he would be back to normal soon. He channel surfed for a little while until his phone rang.

"Psst. Hey."

"Jack?"

"Do androids dream of electric sheep?"

"Huh?"

"They probably do..."

"Are you on tumblr?"

"Maaaaybe. Are you back in Forks?"

"If by Forks you mean Burgess, then yes Jack, I am. We got back a few hours ago."

"Why didn't you call me? We would've had dinner at Tiana's place."

"They opened a Tiana's place?"

"Yes...and no. Tiana's place is doing the catering for the party, so there's a pop up restaurant on the sixth floor of St. North's. The actual restaurant will open in a month. Tiana herself will be there."

"Sounds like your doing PR for her or something."

"What's wrong with a little advertising?"

"Oh nothing."

Jack was quiet for a moment. "...I never thought of that."

"What?"

"What if babies stay still under mobiles because they look like hawks flying overhead. That would mean babies are just playing dead..."

"Get off Tumblr. Now."

"Oh you're no fun."

Their exchange went on a little longer before Hiccup fell asleep.

He woke up again around noon. Stoick had left a note stating he was out training. The big house seemed even bigger without his father around, so Hiccup abandoned the real world and decided to work on his tiny village. Being in Berk had inspired him. He sketched new ideas and worked with wooden bits until loud music interrupted his thoughts. Someone was blasting Daft Punk, and Hiccup was pretty sure he knew who it was. The bell rang. Looking at the clock, Hiccup saw that it was almost five. He headed downstairs. Toothless was standing at the door, which meant the visitor was not a stranger.

He opened the door to see Jack standing there in a half zipped parka. The scarf Hiccup had made him was wrapped snugly around his neck, obscuring the bottom half of his face. Jack was holding a rather large box, wrapped with bright wrapping paper. He moved forward and Hiccup moved aside, letting him in.

Jack pulled on the scarf, revealing his mouth. "Hey Hic. Welcome back!" There was that dazzling smile that Hiccup had yet to get used to. He presented Hiccup with the box. "Happy Christmahannakwanzikah!"

Hiccup laughed and took the box from him. "Thanks." He examined the box. "What is it?"

Jack laughed. "You see sport, that's the thing about wrapped gifts. Ya gotta open them." Jack took off his parka and his boots. He followed Hiccup and Toothless to the living room. Hiccup sat down on the sofa and began to unwrap his present. Christmas was not a big thing in the Haddock household. As a child he received the occasional toy. Now, he got gift cards. Which was why he was extra appreciative when he saw what Jack had bought for him.

"Jack..." Hiccup was shocked.

Jack frowned. "What? Don't tell me you don't like it. Goldie said you kept staring at it when you were in the hobby shop.

"No...I love it...I've wanted this art set since I first moved here. It's just...so expensive..."

Jack shrugged. "North says that money isn't an issue when it comes to happiness."

Hiccup glanced down at the set. It was a 80 piece collection featuring almost every medium from craypas to gouache. Inspiration almost overtook him then. What would he try out first? A sketch and ink with the pencils and pens? A painting on the included pad? Maybe he would shape a dragon out of the clay?

"Thanks, Jack. This means a lot to me."

Jack grinned. "Now that's what I want to hear."

Hiccup put the set down. "Would you like something to drink?"

Jack plopped down on the sofa."I'll have bourbon sport, on the rocks. But make it quick, I've gotta be back in a half-hour."

Hiccup nodded."Sure thing, Gatsby. If by bourbon, you mean hot chocolate. And by rocks, you mean jumbo marshmellows."

Jack laughed. "Of course sport! Of course!"

In minutes Jack and Hiccup were sitting in front of the tv with hot chocolate in hand.

"Glad to be back in Burgess?"

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah. Well, not to say I won't miss Berk. I just like hot showers more."

Jack seemed shocked. "They don't have hot showers?"

"Well they do. It's just that they don't last very long. Heating is a serious issue. If you're lucky, you live in one of the newer houses. My family's house is like, a hundred years old. The furnace is a mess, but the fireplace keeps the den nice and toasty."

Jack raised his mug. "Here's to indoor heating."

Hiccup smiled and raised his mug. "Hear,hear."

A Honeymooner's marathon was playing on the television. The neighborhood was quiet and the sun had already set. Jack was just getting comfortable when his cellphone rang. Jack glanced at it and sighed. "I have to get back."

He glanced at the clock. The party didn't start or another hour and a half. Did he really have to go?

Hiccup stood up. "Okay. I guess I'll see you later then."

"Yeah." Jack pulled himself out the couch and headed for the door. "Oh, Goldie said that the mural painting is going to start on the second at 2, not noon."

He walked towards the hall. Hiccup walked behind him. "Who's Goldie?"

Jack glanced back at Hiccup. "Rapunzel. You know, the girl with the really long blond hair. _Goldilocks_."

"Do you give everyone you know a nickname?"

Jack slipped on his boots, and put his parka back on.

"Nah..." Jack opened the door. "Only the people that matter."

Hiccup froze then. "Oh."

Jack smiled. "See you later."

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah...Bye."

Jack left then.

_"Only the people that matter."_

Hiccup got that weird feeling in his stomach again. He took two anti-acids, washed up and got ready for the party.

Hiccup and his father arrived about a half-hour late. The Tartakovsky hotel was a buzz with excitement, with guests and extras pouring in to the building. The ballroom was decorated in gold and silver. A live band played music in the corner. North and Jack stood in the middle of the room, talking with what Hiccup could only describe as a scottish version of his father.

The man was tall and large like North and Stoick, but sporting a wooden leg and a head of vibrant red hair. The man was accompanied by a wife and four children. His wife, woman of middle age with graying hair, was whispering something to her oldest child. Her eldest was a girl with a head of hair more red and unruly than her father's. The girl was dressed in a emerald satin party dress, looking slightly irritated about whatever her mother was saying. There were three small boys running around them, stuffing their faces with food.

Jack made eye contact with Hiccup and waved him over. North introduced them immediately. "Ah! This is Stoick Haddock and Hiccup Haddock. Stoick is starting gym line in my store."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow and looked at his father. "You are?"

"Stoick, this is Fergus DunBroch, a business partner of mine. He and his family have moved here from Scotland."

Fergus's wife extended her hand to Stoick. "Elinor DunBroch, pleased to meet you." She looked down at her children. "Boys!" The triplets stopped moving and stood still in front of her. "These are my sons: Harris, Hubert, and Hamish. And this," She placed her hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Is my daughter, Merida."

Merida smiled then. Her mother nudged her, and she rolled her eyes before curtsying. "Pleasure to meet you."  
Hiccup gave half a bow. "Welcome to Burgess."

Stoick patted his son on the back, almost causing him to fall over. "My son and I moved here a few years ago from Berk."

Harris tugged Stoick's pant leg. "Excuse me sir, but are you the Hairy Hooligan?"

Stoick laughed heartily. "Of course!"

"Ah knew it!" Merida said, smiling. "My brothers watched all you matches."

The boys all began to tug on Stoick.

"When are you going to fight again?" "Are you going to come back?" "You're not realllly retired right?"

Elinor swatted at them. "Boys, please. Calm down." She looked at Hiccup. "Hiccup, I suppose you are Merida's age. You attend the local high school?"

Hiccup nodded. "Ah, yeah. I'm a junior at Burgess High."  
"Oh wonderful!" Elinor clasped her hands together. "Merida was in her third year back home. Ah trust you and Jack can help her adjust to your school."

"Sure." Hiccup said. "Right, Jack? Jack?"  
Jack's interested had moved on to another sight. His focus was on Mavis.

Mavis was dressed in a black cocktail dress with silver trim, and lace gloves. She was chatting animatedly with a young man who had to be around twenty. From the look on Jack's face, he obviously didn't like what he saw. He looked back at Hiccup. "Huh? Oh yeah, I'll...help..."

"Hiccup?"

Hiccup turned to see a slightly frazzled looking Rapunzel.

Rapunzel pushed a strand of hair out of her face. Her long tendrils had been pulled into a braid. She was dressed in a violet dress with a lavender bodice and pink trim that stretched down to the floor. "Hi."

"There you are Goldie." Jack smiled. "Glad you could make it!"

"Merida, this is our friend Rapunzel." Hiccup gestured to her. "Rapunzel, this is Merida DunBroch."

Merida curtsied again under her mother's watch. "Ah'll be coming to yer school soon. Pleased to meet you."

Rapunzel returned the gesture. "Rapunzel Gothel. Nice to meet you."

She took Merida's hand and shook it. "I love your hair."

"Oh...Thank you." Merida's face reddened a bit then. She was more used to staring than compliments. "Yers is nice too."

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting kinda hungry." He looked at North, Stoick, and Fergus. "Do you guys mind if we get a table?"

Jack, Merida, Rapunzel, and Hiccup sat at a round table in the dining room.

"So, Merida," Rapunzel began. "how do you like Burgess so far."  
"It's nice." Merida replied. "Well, Ah do miss Angus though."  
"Angus?" Hiccup repeated.

"Mah horse." Merida said, stabbing her steak. "He's back home with some relatives. I wish I couda brought 'im."

"A horse huh. Your family has land back in Ireland?" Jack asked.  
"_Scotland_." Merida corrected. "And yes. We lived in a restored castle. Father had a village build around it. It's a tourist attraction."

"Sounds nice." Hiccup said. "I've always wanted to go there. The ruins seem interesting."  
"Yeah." Merida sighed. "There chock full of history. A history me mum loves to drum into my 'ead."

"What did you do for fun there?" Jack asked.

"Ah rode Angus. Did Archery, football. Well, _soccer_ I mean."

"We have a couple of teams at school." Jack said.

"And clubs." Hiccup interjected.

"I'm sure you'll find something you like." Rapunzel said, beaming.

As their conversation continued, Jack's attention swayed to Mavis. Every now and then he caught a glimpse of her a that mysterious older man. Eventually he excused himself from the table. After awhile he didn't come back. The night wore on and soon Rapunzel had to go home. Elinor shooed her children off to bed, and requested Merida and Hiccup's help in getting them up to their rooms. The DunBroch's were staying at the hotel while their house was completed. Fergus had decided to move a little earlier than scheduled.

Merida had enough of the party for the time being, and decided to retire until midnight, leaving Hiccup alone. Just as Hiccup was considering leaving early, North approached him.

"Have you seen Jack?"

"No sir."

North stroked his beard. "It is almost midnight. I would hate to do the countdown without him."

"I understand sir, I'll try to find him."

"Thank you Hiccup."  
With that, Hiccup began his search. He first asked Mavis who was once again with the mysterious older man. She didn't know here Jack was, but she did have an idea.

"Jack likes to go to the surveillance room sometimes to chat up the guards. Either that, or try a hall closet. He takes naps in those."

So Hiccup took her advice and looked in the surveillance room. Lo and behold, there he found Jack, alone sitting in the corner with half a bottle of champagne. Hiccup sighed and closed the door behind himself. "What is this?"

Jack looked up at him. "Oh hey Hic. It's me, Jack."

"Sadly, I know." Hiccup looked at the monitors. "I don't get you Jack. Why do you do this? Why do you act one way in public, and the do…this I figured you had some reason, but I don't' get it. You-"

"I have a sister."

"What?"

"I have. A sister." Jack said, raking a hand through his hair.

"Sorry." Hiccup said. "But weren't you...adopted?"

"Yep." Jack sat up. "Have a seat Hic." Jack patted the floor. " It's story time."

Hiccup reluctantly sat down next to him.

"So once upon a time, an eight year old boy and his four year old sister ran away from their abusive parents. They lived in an orphanage for years." Jack spoke in a sing song voice before sighing heavily. "It was horrible. I mean, the people that worked there were nice, and the beds were warm but…" Jack stared at the floor. "It was horrible. The younger kids got adopted left and right. Everyday I had to sit and watch and hope no one would take my sister away from me. I purposely hid her a few times because I was afraid that we would get separated. And then, we did…"

Hiccup's eyes widened. "That girl in the department store…"

"Yeah. That's my sister. Sophie Overland. Well, she's Sophie Bennett now."  
"How come you were hiding form her the other day?"

"She…doesn't know me." Jack said. "She doesn't remember me at all." He rubbed his neck. "I was a little hellraiser at the orphanage. I thought no one would adopt us or separate us if I acted that way. But they took her anyway."

"I'm sorry Jack."

"Ha." Jack laughed, and that sad little smirk Hiccup had seen before was back. "I'm the sorry one. Maybe if I hadn't been such a little bastard..."His voice was cracking. "Maybe the Bennetts would have adopted me too."

"Jack..." Hiccup put a hand on Jack's shoulder. "You were just a kid. I'm sure they'd understand now if you wanted to just talk to her."

"You'd think that. They made it clear that they want me to have nothing to do with her."

"But why?"

"They don't want Sophie to know that she's adopted." Jack pulled his knees to his chest. "So naturally, I'm not allowed to talk to her."

Hiccup looked away. "Oh…."

"Well, it's not just that." Jack said, resting his chin on his knees. "Do you ever get tired?"

"Of?"  
"Everything. It's like the world is moving around you, and you just don't care." Jack was gazing off somewhere distant. "So every now and then, you remove yourself from the equation."

Hiccup looked at Jack. "So, this is how you remove yourself?"

"Sometimes." Jack said, sighing again. "I know it sounds selfish. But I just don't think it's fair. Do I have to be Jack all the time? Do I have to meet everyone's expectations?"

"No." Hiccup replied. "But this isn't the answer."

"Then what is?"

Hiccup shrugged. "Talking to someone?"

Jack stared at him for a moment.

"Sorry. I'm probably not the best person for this talk." Hiccup rubbed his arm. "I mean, I don't get nearly as much attention as you do."

Jack glanced back at the screen. "Be thankful for that."

The New Year 's Eve celebration was being shown on the top monitor. As the audience cheered, the show's host began the countdown.

"Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven!"

Jack frowned. "Shoot. Where…" He looked at Hiccup.

"Six! Five! Four!"

"I need my New Year's kiss…"

Before Hiccup realized it, Jack was straddling him. " Jack!? What the-"

"Three! Two! One!"

Jack kissed him on the mouth, ignoring his protest.

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"


End file.
